Hermann Hauser Guitar Foundation

Non-Profit Foundation for Guitar and Lute Music

The The Hermann Hauser Guitar Foundation (HHGF) is a nonprofit foundation under civil law based in Munich. It was founded in 2004 by Hermann Hauser III together with the Munich-based entrepreneur, producer, and guitarist Klaus Wolfgang Wildner—named after the Munich-based luthier Hermann Hauser I (1882–1952), who built one of the most famous concert guitars for Andrés Segovia in 1937; this instrument is now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Purpose and Activities

The foundation’s statutory purpose is to promote and foster scholarship and culture in the field of guitar and lute music, with the foundation operating worldwide. This is achieved, among other things, through research into and the presentation of the historical foundations of guitar development, including instrument making; through the establishment of a publicly accessible instrument collection (including instruments held in trust); and through the awarding of prizes to musicians, media artists, and musicologists.

Awards

The art prize is awarded under the name “Nymphenburg Guitar Art Prize.” In the two years between award ceremonies, the foundation also presents a scholarship for guitar students.

Other Activities

The foundation is developing a digital guitar museum: The “Hermann Hauser Museum” is a platform dedicated to the life, work, and legacy of Hermann Hauser and showcases the instruments of the Hauser family. In addition, there have been projects to support the musical education of children and young people in developing countries by providing guitars and teaching materials.

The family tradition itself continues in parallel: Since 2010, Kathrin Hauser, the daughter of Hermann Hauser III, has also been working as a guitar maker in the workshop in Reisbach.